The bottom line is clear: Our vital interests in Afghanistan are limited and military victory is not the key to achieving them. On the contrary, waging a lengthy counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan may well do more to aid Taliban recruiting than to dismantle the group, help spread conflict further into Pakistan, unify radical groups that might otherwise be quarreling amongst themselves, threaten the long-term health of the U.S. economy, and prevent the U.S. government from turning its full attention to other pressing problems. -- Afghanistan Study Group

Friday, November 2, 2012

Reported security incidents#1: At least eight militants were killed in fresh clashes with security forces here on Thursday. Four hideouts of the suspected militants were destroyed in security forces' shelling. According to details, the security forces continued forward movement and search operations in different areas of Khyber Agency during which exchange of fire took place. During a search operation in Tirah Valley eight extremists were reported killed as security forces shelled suspected hideouts and destroyed them.#2: Four Norwegian soldiers were injured and brought to hospital after their armoured vehicle hit a road bomb in Northern Afghanistan late Thursday. They were part of a coloumn of 7 vehicles with 25 troops which was on its way from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kabul when their SISU was destroyed by the bomb.#3: At least eight people were killed and a dozen others injured when some unknown gunmen opened fire at a petrol station in Pakistan's southwest province of Balochistan on Friday afternoon, local media reported. Dunya TV reported that the incident happened at about 2:20 p.m. local time when an unknown number of gunmen targeted the fuel station as soon as a passenger van carrying 16 people stopped at the station for refueling in Khuzdar area, a main town located in the eastern part of the province. District Police Officer of Khuzdar said that following the firing incident, fire engulfed the whole petrol station and the passenger van. He said that a rickshaw and two motorbikes were also destroyed in the incident.DoD: Cpl. Alex F. Domion